New Study Shows EPA ‘Safe’ Levels of Glyphosate Not Safe at All

A new study, called The Global Glyphosate Study, was just released about the safety, or more accurately the lack of safety, of the primary ingredient found in weed killers like Monsanto’s Roundup and other similar products. The study assessed the effects of glyphosate, which has been classified as a “probable carcinogen” by the World Health Organization (WHO). The scientists wanted to determine whether the levels of the toxic chemical set as “safe” by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are actually safe.

The Microbiome Connection

Researchers found that the amounts set as safe levels of glyphosate by the United States government agency are not safe at all and are instead linked to microbiome imbalances and damage to DNA (known as genotoxicity). The microbiome is the total of all microbial life that live in a human being, which is largely made up of beneficial bacteria and other beneficial microbes.

Every person and living thing has a unique microbiome. It’s like a microbial fingerprint in that no two microbiomes are the same. We now know, through a quickly expanding body of research, that a strong and healthy microbiome is essential for great health.

The results occurred even when there were small exposures to the pesticide for short periods of time. Conducted by Italy’s Ramazzini Institute in partnership with the University of Bologna, the Genoa Hospital San Martino, the Italian National Institue of Health, Mount Sinai in New York and George Washington University, the study is scheduled for publication in the scientific journal Environmental Health.

The study found that the toxic pesticide is particularly unsafe for children, yet it is heavily sprayed on school playgrounds, public parks, private yards and other places where children routinely play.

Crowdfunding Additional Independent Research on Glyphosate

Interestingly, the multi-national scientific collaboration intends to expand upon its research through crowdfunding. Considering that millions, if not billions, of lives depend on increasing the awareness that EPA standards are unacceptably high, independent research of this nature seems particularly pressing, especially given the rapidly-growing rates of cancer we are currently facing.

What’s Going on at the EPA?

Even the EPA banned the chemical weed killer over 30 years ago, but then mysteriously reversed its decision. The agency’s decision to allow the sale and use of glyphosate products is based on studies conducted by the chemical industry itself and there is evidence to suggest that these studies may have been faked to suggest they are safe, when studies like The Global Glyphosate Study suggest they are not safe at all, and even the EPA’s allowable amounts are higher than they should be. I am not aware of a single study that suggests there is such a thing as an allowable amount of glyphosate, although the Scott Pruitt-led agency would have you believe otherwise.

The head of the EPA, Scott Pruitt, has a lengthy history of fighting the agency he now represents, contrary to what his biography on the agency’s own site might tell you. It says that he: “believes that promoting and protecting a strong and healthy environment is among the lifeblood priorities of the government, and that EPA is vital to that mission.” Is that why Pruitt spent so much time, energy and money fighting the agency he now leads, including initiating lawsuits against the EPA when he was the attorney-general of Oklahoma?

The guy doesn’t even believe climate change is real and claims in his article for the National Review that scientists aren’t in agreement. Actually, Scott, scientists are in agreement that climate change is real and needs to be addressed; politicians, corporations who make billions on fighting climate change, and those lacking any scientific knowledge are the only ones who negate the reality of climate change. So why is such a scientifically-ignorant man leading the agency that is charged with protecting the environment? I’ll let you draw your own conclusions in that regard.

How Prevalent is Glyphosate in Our Food Supply?

According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), which tested 3188 foods to determine whether glyphosate was found on them, nearly one-third of all foods tested contain glyphosate and some contain alarmingly high levels of the compounds that have been linked to many forms of cancer and other serious health conditions.

While those who financially benefit from the sale of Roundup and other glyphosate-containing pesticides continue to claim that their products are safe, the reality is that The Global Glyphosate Study isn’t the only study to find that glyphosate is toxic. The WHO’s International Agency for Research of Cancer reviewed approximately 1000 studies before concluding that glyphosate is a probable carcinogen.

So, it’s essential for the EPA to ban these toxic products, not set ridiculously-high safety standards that have been documented to be severely damaging to humans, animals and the environment. It’s time that the folks at the EPA re-read the agency’s name, which contains its mandate in 3 simple words: Environmental Protection Agency. Start there: the lives of millions of people depend on it.

Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact.

Care2 Stands Against: bigots, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here.

Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing. You are our people. You Care. We Care2.